1. Field of Art
This disclosure generally relates to the field of radio frequency identification (RFID) and electronic authentication, and more specifically, to systems and methods for automatic and secure authentication and identification for healthcare.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optimizing patient care is an ever-changing and challenging endeavor. Ensuring quality patient care that is safe, efficient and cost-effective is very important to patients, as well as healthcare providers. Conventional technologies used in the healthcare industry for aiding provider patient care, monitoring patient treatment, receiving and retrieving patient data and monitoring provider activity have not yet provided optimal features to meet these needs. Recently, software application systems have been developed in an attempt to improve patient care and provider performance.
These days, most healthcare facilities utilize electronic software and applications to securely store and efficiently access private patient information. In order to access the patient information, a patient must provide a certain amount of information at each provider visit. The information provided is an attempt to confirm the patient's identity and that the patient's current information is up to date. For example, each time a patient visits his or her doctor for a check-up, he or she typically walks up to the registration table and is greeted by a receptionist or other healthcare provider. The patient must then provide his or her name, the time of the appointment, and the name of the patient's doctor. Often, the receptionist or other healthcare provider must also confirm that the patient's insurance and address information in the system is still correct and up to date. Typically, the patient is then given a medical history form to complete. The patient typically completes a form while waiting for his or her appointment in the waiting room.
Yet another problem in the prior art is the management of and access to electronic records of patients. In most healthcare institutions, healthcare providers can gain access to a patient's electronic records with authorized entry into the healthcare software application system. In order to prove authorization, providers are equipped with a unique username and password. Each time a provider needs to access patient information, they must log in to the system using their unique name and password. Further, each time they are done accessing the electronic records, they must log out of the system to ensure that unauthorized use does not occur. The process of logging in and logging off each time may prove to be quite time-consuming given the number of patients a provider visits in a given day.
Another problem in the prior art is the utilization of equipment in medical facilities and making sure they are deployed in a matter that maximizes their usage and availability. For example, in many hospitals the location of equipment is not tracked and monitored other than by conducting an annual inventory of the equipment. Thus, the medical staff is not aware if some the equipment is not being used or located in an area where it is not required. Thus, tracking of the location of equipment continues to be a problem.
Another problem in the prior art is the monitoring of provider performance to ensure optimal quality patient care. Typically, in many healthcare facilities, an admitted patient is treated by multiple healthcare providers. During the patient's stay, the patient may be seen by multiple healthcare providers and each healthcare provider attends to the patient at multiple times during the day. Further, each provider treats multiple patients while on duty. Current healthcare software applications have been developed to help establish clear and consistent communication between the various providers and ensure optimal record keeping. Given these dynamics, monitoring provider performance and ensuring consistent, safe and effective patient care can be challenging.
Yet another problem in the prior art is the monitoring of patient health status, minimizing response time and ensuring effective and optimal patient care. For example, when a patient is resting in his or her room, she is monitored specialized equipment that is usually wired to a corresponding area of the patient's body. Therefore, the patient can only be monitored while the patient is in his or her hospital room. Further, information about the patient monitored is only displayed at the monitoring equipment itself, or at the nurse's station. These conditions present limitations on the effective monitoring of patients.
The above-defined issues represent serious impediments to quality patient care as well as increasing the cost and adding inefficiency to the delivery of medical services.